As the clouds and the rain return, and our neighborhood streets are suddenly devoid of teenagers, it can mean only one thing – the fall high school sports season is upon us.

This fall, the Ballard High School teams have a lot to prove, both to themselves and to the league.

Out of the gate first was the Ballard football team under second-year coach John Bowers. The Beavers opened their season with a 38-0 loss to Liberty High School on Sept. 4.

Despite the final score, Bowers said he saw a lot of positives, especially work ethic, during the game from a team that was outscored by 200 points last season on the way to a 1-8 record.

Bowers said the goal for the team this year is to play hard, play better and get respect.

The Beaver's schedule isn't going to make that easy for them. Liberty was the fourth-ranked team in the state and a matchup against Skyline, the eighth-ranked team in the nation, is looming on Thursday.

"I might have to talk to the schedule maker," Bowers said.

The coach said if Ballard can make it out of the Skyline game in one piece, they should be all right. The team doesn't have a large contingent of juniors and seniors, but it is getting good leadership from the upperclassmen it does have, he said.

The Beavers also have a great offensive and defensive player in senior Matt Law-Phipps and a surprising offensive line, Bowers said.

After two years in a row of missing the playoffs by one point, the Ballard High School girls soccer players want to show that they can win, coach Val Seid said.

Seid said the team has gotten tired of getting so close to making the postseason only to see it slip away and has changed its mentality in the offseason, improving its chemistry and team unity.

The Beavers are returning eight seniors, including Sara Ives, one of the top players in the league, and should be fairly strong, Seid said.

The Ballard High School volleyball team made the playoffs last season, but lost in their first match.

Coach Tami Reese said the team wants to show that it can make it deeper into the playoffs and compete in every match.

Reese said the team played great last year and should play well again this year, even with two new setters.

Also starting their seasons are girls and boys cross country, boys tennis, boys golf and girls swimming.

Last year, Lauren Hammerle and Erin Philbeck made it to the 4A State Championship for the Beaver cross country team.

Though Hammerle has graduated, Philbeck is returning and should anchor a strong team, coach Bruce Drager told the Ballard News-Tribune at the end of the 2008 season.

Charles Brenner, first-year boys tennis coach, said the team is aiming high at the moment.

The Beavers have seven returning seniors and will definitely be improved over last season, Brenner said.

Coach Casey McMullin had a huge turnout for the boys golf team – 26 players compared to 12 last season – and said he has high expectations for the team.

"I think I've got a pretty good team," he said. "I'm hoping we win more than we lose."

Boys golf, girls soccer and volleyball open their seasons today. Cross country and boys tennis start Sept. 10, and girls swimming starts Sept. 15.

The Beavers football team continues its season against Skyline at 7:45 p.m. on Sept. 10 at Memorial Stadium.